UAE’s first solar-powered gas station opens in Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates â€” A government oil company in the United Arab Emirates says it has opened the country’s first solar-powered gas station in Dubai.

The Dubai-owned Emirates National Oil Company said on Wednesday the service station on the city’s main Sheikh Zayed Road thoroughfare is covered with solar panels that can generate up to 120 kilowatt hours.

ENOC says that is about 30 per cent more energy than the station needs, so the excess power is directed back into the city’s electric grid.

Although it is OPEC’s fourth biggest oil producer, the UAE has made a push to turn itself into a hub for renewable energy. It is building multiple solar farms and hosts the global headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency.